Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Bill June 15, 2011

Even when I'm trying to take it easy on a big event, it seems that I can't help but to buy the tie ins. What's wrong with me? Clearly I'm just some kind of event whore and just can't help myself. At least the majority of the tie ins are good, that certainly goes a long way to make me feel good about what I'm buying. What am I talking about? Why don't you check me out after the banner and find out.

I've been saying to my friends for weeks now that Fear Itself reminds me of Civil War, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. That is, until today. It's this book, and the strength of the Speedball lead story that makes Fear Itself seem like the logical conclusion to Marvel's eight year epic (sorry Siege, you just weren't that good).

Say what you will about Civil War, you have to admit that it resulted in some pretty dramatic shakeups for some long-standing characters. The most drastic of which was Speedball, who went from happy-go-lucky to an emo-on-steroids via grief and guilt. In the intervening years, work has been done to redeem Speedball and I think the final piece is the story being told here in The Home Front.

Here's a Speedball that knows what he's doing, is using his powers creatively and efficiently, and is doing his best to save the people that just tried to kill him. He's officially gone from fluffy good times, to a character with some real pathos that I can't help but to root for. And in my eyes, that's the last marker on his road back to being the Speedball that everyone loved (supposedly).

The other stories are a bit shaky (the less said about that Cardiac story the better), but I can't not be satisfied with this book based on what they're doing with Speedball.

A Non-Marvel PSA:The Walking Dead: No Way OutWriter: Robert KirkmanArtist: Charlie Adlard

I don't write about this book nearly enough, so here's an attempt to rectify that oversight. The Walking Dead is one of the best books out there right now and has no signs of slowing down. And this latest trade just reemphasizes the point.

This is a book that never rests on it's laurels, that's constantly challenging the status quo, and isn't afraid to make things hard on the characters. No Way Out is no exception. While it might not read super great out of context, in context it fucking rocks balls!

I tell everyone who'll listen that if they like Zombies, the Walking Dead TV Show, or just good comics, that this series is a must read. It's hands down one of my favorites, and is the best palate cleanser for weeks like this when all I read are the big crossover tie-ins.

And that's all I got. Feel free to drop me a line if you want to see what I thought about any of the other tie ins I bought, or if you just want to talk up the Walking Dead some more. I'm down for either one.